A Hamilton County court bailiff says the former Cincinnati Bengal pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of failure to display a valid driver’s license during a July 21 traffic stop.

Court documents show Ochocinco, who’s listed under his former name Chad Johnson, was originally charged with driving with a suspended license and a window tint violation. The documents also state that his out- of-state driver’s license was suspended. The bailiff says he has a valid license now.

The judge fined Ochocinco $200 and ordered him to pay $104 in court costs.

His attorney says the court “record speaks for itself” and declined to comment further.

Did the Super Bowl set a viewership record for a third year in a row? Nope. Apparently, America’s most-watched TV event slipped a little.

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AMHERST, Mass. (WGGB) — A New York Giants victory celebration turned ugly at UMass Amherst following the Super Bowl.

Riot police armed with flash bombs and pepperball guns moved in on more than 1,500 UMass students that began rioting in the Southwest residential area late Sunday night.

“This is what happens when you lose. Win or lose people go nuts at Amherst so it’s a zoo out here,” one student noted.

Some students showed up in sorrow and looked ahead to next year.

“The Pats should have had it. Next time baby,” one student yelled.

Others, though, were rioting in celebration.

“We’re from New York.  We want this…yeah,” two female students yelled back.

The plaza in Southwest, a spot known for riots in the past , began filling with students just minutes after the Patriots lost.

“I wouldn’t call it an angry mob.  I’d call it an upset gathering,” one student commented.

Some students climbed trees and buildings.  Others tossed toilet paper and drinks from nearby dorms.

Overhead announcements urged students to go back inside.   Most students, though, failed to listen, so officers, mounted on horseback, moved in.  It took police less than an hour to clear the crowd.

Fourteen people were arrested. There were no injuries or any reported damage.

Even those students who avoided the violent parts of the crowd say staying inside just wasn’t an option after a heartbreaking Pats loss.

“I was really upset and my first reaction was ‘I’m going to slam the door and leave’ and when I got outside, everyone I knew was outside,” notes one UMass freshman.

Fellow freshman Scott Tanner agreed, saying riots like Sunday’s are part of the UMass tradition.

“Nobody got too out of control. We came together and had fun with it.  It was a great experience, especially as a freshman here,” Tanner said.

Madonna gave Super Bowl XLVI attendees and viewers at home quite a show, even if she lip-synched for most of her 12-minute set.

During Sunday’s halftime, the Material Girl pulled from every decade of her almost 30-year career. In an elaborate entrance involving Trojan men and…

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“Pretty much it’s going to be crazy; probably like a couple hundred people,” said chef Nerman Hodzic at Sophia’s Sports Bar.
People will be coming in large crowds to enjoy the game with friends, family and other fans.
“[We'll] just go out somewhere where we can be in the atmosphere, have fun with it and have some drinks and go all out,” said Michael Jones, a customer at Sophia’s.

Orders for take-out are coming in already, keeping kitchens busy with preparations.

“We ordered a lot more drafts and a lot more wings because that’s everybody’s favorite here,” said Christine Kaimi, a bartender at Sohpia’s.
“We doubled staff across the board; food and bartenders,” said Bill Stetson, owner of Rumbleseat in Chicopee. “We probably will go through about 2500 wings tomorrow.

(AMHERST, MA) WGGB- – - UMass Amherst athletics couldn’t ask for a better recruiting tool.  With Victor Cruz and James Ihedigbo playing in the big game on Sunday, the department is seeing this as a great chance to market their programs.

“The excitement around Victor and James in the Superbowl has generated a tremendous amount of enthusiasm from our football supporters as well as the general UMass alums,” said Director of Development for UMass athletics, Rocko DeLuca.

“It really gives us a level of exposure nationally that’s really unique for one thing and hard to achieve,” said the school’s athletic director, John McCutcheon.

At National Signing Day this week, the school already began to experience how influential the two stars can be for the school.

“Certainly when they see what James has done and what Victor has done, it makes for some very easy conversation in the recruiting process,” McCutcheon.

“It’s just showing people that you can make it out there,” said Rodney Mills, a member of the UMass football team.  “It’s showing that the school can produce NFL players.”

But this goes beyond football, McCutcheon thinks this will be helpful for all sports at UMass.

“I think it’s a situation that will raise the awareness of all our programs and puts us in a position to be more successful across the board,” he said.

The social media for the department is also getting more attention.

“We’ve seen a big uprising in the number of people clicking on our emails, watching our messaging and over the past week, it’s been non-stop Q and A about James and Vic, so it’s great,” said DeLuca.

(AMHERST, Mass.) (WGGB)–Mix a student population of 27,000 with a big event like the
Superbowl and there’s plenty of potential chaos. But UMass Amherst staff and police are doing what they can to prevent things from getting out of hand.
“Kids can get pretty crazy, I just hope no one gets hurt,” said Eddie Alvarez, a UMass student.

In attempt to tame any crowds, the school will have increased enforcement presence on campus.

“There will be extra police, there will be other staff on campus and residence halls,” said Dan Fitzgibbons, director of media relations for UMass.

To ensure safety on campus the office of student affairs sent emails to students to remind them to enjoy and celebrate the game responsibly.

The school also hung posters and signs and had advertisements in the student paper to drive the message home.

If all of that wasn’t enough to encourage students to behave, the star of the Giants and UMass prodigy, Victor Cruz asked students to respect each other and their surroundings in a video.

The last time crime control was needed was when news broke that Osama Bin Laden was captured and killed.  The school says it’s learned from prior incidents and hopes everything will go smoothly on Sunday.

Goodell said at his state of the NFL news conference Friday that the league has done “a great deal” to make the game safer for players, and that will remain a priority. He said the league is “not done yet” and will not quit trying to make the game less dangerous for those who play it.

His comment came in response to an Associated Press story quoting a dozen former players who believe there was a culture of indifference toward concussions and other injuries in the NFL. Goodell noted that the league has set aside a lot of money to help retired players.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

Goodell said at a news conference Friday that the league has a strategy to make the game “more successful on a global basis.” The Rams and Patriots will play in London next season as part of that approach.

Asked about playing games in Latin America, Goodell said there’s a great deal of interest there and he would like to get back to playing a regular season game in Mexico. He said it’s “something we’d like to get done sooner than later.”

Goodell said there are current discussions about setting up another game in Mexico.

The NFL Players Association has concerns about playing games in London and how the travel will affect players.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

The All-Pro tight end recovering from a high sprain in his left ankle participated on a limited basis Thursday, his first practice for the Super Bowl since being injured Jan. 22 in the third quarter of the AFC championship victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

He wore a removable boot for a week before discarding it Monday. Teammates had expressed confidence that he would be ready for the game against the New York Giants on Sunday.

Gronkowski, who set an NFL single-season record for tight ends with 17 touchdown catches, missed two practices last week and two more Monday and Wednesday. The Patriots did not practice Tuesday.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

Federal prosecutors in New York announced Thursday that prosecutors had seized 16 sites and brought criminal charges against a Michigan man who controlled nine of them.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says piracy costs sports leagues and broadcasters millions of dollars.

The Comstock Park, Mich., web operator in the case was charged Wednesday with copyright infringement. Prosecutors said he distributed football, basketball and hockey games and wrestling matches.
Authorities say the prosecution is part of a continuing federal effort to target counterfeiting and piracy on the Internet.

New England Quarterback Tom Brady told reporters Thursday that he watched last year’s Super Bowl from Costa Rica on an illegal Super Bowl website.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WGGB) — Fans from across the country are flocking to Indianapolis.  Kickoff isn’t until Sunday night, but until then, fans can find plenty of other fun activities around Lucas Oil Stadium until Sunday.

From ziplines, to seeing how a football is made, to kicking a field goal, fans can take in the sights, sounds, and experiences of several fan oriented events, including Super Bowl Village around the stadium, and the NFL Experience inside the convention center.

Watch ABC40′s Neil Carroll catches up with some fans about the nightlife around Lucas Oil Stadium as the sun goes down.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WGGB) — Ron Brace may be playing the biggest game of his career in the Circle City.  However, his heart remains in the City of Homes.

While Brace did not play his high school or college ball in the Pioneer Valley, he says that his roots are firmly planted in Springfield.

Brace recalls that there was once a time that he used to be sitting in his Six Corners home, watching the Super Bowl, eating wings, thinking about one day playing the big game.  This year, he adds, “Now, I ain’t buying any honey barbecue wings.”

And if this football thing doesn’t work out, Brace could have a career as a reporter.  Check out this video for his extended interview with teammate Gary Guyton.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WRTV/CNN) – These are not the boxes or bags you want to see coming out of any store.

Federal agents with Homeland Security investigations seized fake NFL merchandise from the Off the Wall store in the Glenbrook Square Mall in Fort Wayne.

The surprise visit turned up items that authorities say should not have been on the shelves.

Special Agent in Charge Gary Hartwig says, “”We can’t be everywhere, at every given moment in time, but again it’s consumer beware. We are out there. We are watching those who are importing, those who are distributing counterfeit merchandise. You may get by today, you may get by with it tomorrow, but we’re going to find you.”

Hartwig is the Special Agent in Charge who oversaw the operation called ‘Fake Sweep’.  “The impact is significant, actually counterfeits steals US jobs, very simply,” adds Hartwig.

We got a new look at the extent of the problem as federal authorities showed us a new batch of counterfeits turning up around the nation just in time to cash in on the Super Bowl.

In Indianapolis, the city’s contract with the NFL only allows for authorized stores, not street vendors, to sell the real deal.

Indiana-based Lids, which employs 6,000 people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, counts on the government to stop the sale of the knockoffs to protect their millsion of dollars in investment and jobs.

“I think to buy the properly licensed products is the right thing to do for everyone. It maintains the business the way it should be maintained,” says John DeWaal, Marketing Director at Lids.

Back in Fort Wayne, 400 pieces of NFL related merchandise was removed.  A message to all vendors that fake fabrics found will become the property of Uncle Same.

At last year’s Super Bowl, counterfeit merchandise valued at a total of nearly $4 million was seized by federal authorities.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (CNN) — Well there’s the Super Bowl and then there’s the Celebrity Beach Bowl.

Crews trucked in 700 tons of sand in preparation for the amateur football game Saturday.

Some of the biggest stars in entertainment and sports are expected to take part in the game.

The event is set to take place inside an airplane hangar at Victory Field in Indianapolis.

Tickets are free, but only 1,500 seats are available.

A live performance from The Fray will follow the game.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WGGB) — Much of the talk since the AFC Championship has been about Rob Gronkowski’s ankle.  Today, he addressed reporters about it at Media Day.

During the AFC title game against the Baltimore Ravens, Gronkowski landed awkwardly on his ankle, causing him to wear an ankle boot since then.

For the first time since that game, Gronkowski emerged onto the field at Lucas Oil Stadium without the boot, and talked to ABC40′s Mike Leslie about how the ankle has been feeling.

Also, amongst all the chaos that is Media Day, even Springfield native and Patriots Defensive End Ron Brace decided to take a turn as an ABC40 reporter by interviewing Patriots Inside Linebacker Gary Guyton.

INDIANAPOLIS, In. (WGGB) — Both teams have landed in the Circle City, and so have reporters from across the country and around the world.

Tuesday marked Media Day for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.  Reporters, young and old, swarmed the field of Lucas Oil Stadium for a chance to ask questions of both the Giants and the Patriots.

The two teams meet up in this year’s Super Bowl on Sunday just after 6:30 p.m.

Watch as ABC40′s Mike Leslie took in the sights and sounds of the day, including one television crew’s hunt for Sebastian Vollmer, and a young reporter that shared a common bond with Mike.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is betting chips, pies and bowls of New England clam chowder that his Patriots will win Super Bowl XLVI. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is putting bagels, yogurt and cheesecake on the line in support of the Giants.

The bet for Sunday’s NFL championship game highlights regional cuisine that this year will be donated to local food banks.

If the Giants lose Sunday’s game, Cuomo will send 46 cases of New York-made yogurt, 46 dozen bagels from Manhattan’s Ess-a-Bagel and 46 cheesecakes from Junior’s in Brooklyn to a Massachusetts food bank.

If the Patriots lose, Patrick will send 46 pies from The Pie Ladies in Centerville, 46 cases of chips made in Needham Heights and clam chowder from Boston-based Legal Seafoods.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

BELGRADE, Maine (WCSH/CNN) — A New England Patriots fan’s home is getting a lot of attention now that the Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl.

On the outside, ordinary, but on the inside, something extraordinary.

“You really have to see it for yourself.”

It started small.  “Well, it started like every kid.  You get a t-shirt or a hat or a sweatshirt.”

That turned into sweatshirts.

“I forget I have some of these.”

It then got a little out of control.

Homeowner Tony Yotides says, “Well, it kind of grew slowly.  It might have gotten to become a bit of an obsession.

But to this family, it’s just a way of life.  It’s the way they bathe and the way they play.

“If it’s got a logo on it I’ll buy it,” says Yotides.

With a doorbell like this, it’s no wonder people call it ‘The Patriots House.’

Yotides has everything from the Fatheads to the finest details even down to the dinner plates.

His girlfriend, Tonia Stevens, says, “By far. I think he has more than some of the stores I go in.”

His love for the Patriots only paralleled by his love for his family.  It’s what brings them together around this 70 inch screen.

And it’s that kind of super fandom that spreads.

I was never a football fan but you know when you live with one it’s kind of hard to be a Patriot fan,” adds Stevens.

Getting ready for the big game, there’s one thing that he wants and doesn’t have. Yotides says, “I could hang out with Tom and Giselle at their new house in California for a week or so, that’d be all right. I’d clean the pool you know, whatever.”